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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — ground
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — a hole
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — the cause
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. land — to come down
  19. root — of a word
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. root — of a plant

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