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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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 plant
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — to play on
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — music
  11. root — the cause
  12. swing — in golf
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cell — a phone

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