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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pop — music
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tube — a container
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. hide — to keep secret

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