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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. root — the cause
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — a country
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. club — a group
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. land — ground
  19. root — of a plant
  20. land — to come down
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bulb — for light

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