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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — army training
  8. rash — a series
  9. rest — a break
  10. wound — an injury
  11. root — of a word
  12. track — a song
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a path

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