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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — a match
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cap — of ice
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cabinet — ministers

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