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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. last — to go on
  3. mug — a face
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. pass — a permit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hand — help
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. last — final
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lie — to recline
  20. last — finally
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — to trim

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