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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. suit — to fit
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. band — a music group
  16. bark — to shout
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. root — of a word
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — the cause

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