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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fork — in a road
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. last — final
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. last — finally
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — to go on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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