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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — of water
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. root — the cause
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — the season
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a document
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — of a word
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hide — animal skin

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