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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. root — the cause
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. present — there
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — a gift
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — the time now
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitch — completely
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. object — an aim
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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