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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pop — soda
  5. root — of a plant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. prune — to trim
  10. race — the arms race
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — humankind
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. foot — a measure
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. craft — a skill
  17. root — of a word
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — music
  24. race — a contest

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