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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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 plant
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — a song
  7. mug — a face
  8. track — a path
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — in music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — of a word
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — to keep track

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