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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. shower — rain
  5. ground — a position
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bat — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. march — the month

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