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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. root — of a word
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — to fit
  7. craft — boats
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. root — the cause
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. suit — clothes
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — a skill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mine — for digging

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