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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ball — a dance
  8. current — electric
  9. object — a thing
  10. ball — a great time
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spring — a coil
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — the season
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — the cause
  20. spring — of water
  21. object — an aim
  22. current — of water
  23. cell — in a prison
  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