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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — child
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — the cause
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. root — of a word
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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