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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cell — a phone
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. root — of a word
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — to confront
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — to go away

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