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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — a tin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. root — of a word
  16. bulb — for light
  17. root — of a plant
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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