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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. hand — in cards
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. hand — help
  22. current — happening now
  23. press — to push
  24. root — of a word

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