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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. drill — army training
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — to keep track
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a path
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a song
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — of a word
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com