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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — a position
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. root — of a word
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — all right
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. root — the cause

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