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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. present — there
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — the time now
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cue — a hint
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. root — the cause
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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