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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 124 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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468
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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — to shout
  8. object — an aim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — the cause
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. object — a thing
  17. toast — bread
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. root — of a plant

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