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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — a path
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. root — the cause
  19. snap — to click
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wound — an injury

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