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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ground — a position
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. can — a tin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ground — the earth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. root — of a word
  24. jam — in traffic

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