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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 124 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chair — a leader
  7. root — of a word
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bat — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. root — the cause
  21. lean — to bend
  22. land — ground
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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