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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. root — of a word
  8. mine — for digging
  9. root — the cause
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lean — thin
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — a weight
  23. press — to push
  24. trunk — of a car

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