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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — letters
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — all right
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — a leader
  22. root — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — out of danger

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