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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tear — to rip
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cell — in biology
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — clothes
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — a phone
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. row — a line

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