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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. net — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — of the year
  11. net — after costs
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — the cause
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. net — for catching
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — the bottom

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