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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. root — of a plant
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — soda
  6. land — a country
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — ground
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. root — of a word
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. land — to come down
  24. safe — out of danger

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