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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a word
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to click
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bore — to drill
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. root — of a plant

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