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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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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lean — thin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — the animal

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