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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. swing — music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — a permit
  24. lean — to rest against

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