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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — a break
  3. root — the cause
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. root — of a word
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pit — a hole
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — of the year
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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