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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — the season
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — a measure
  12. root — the cause
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. root — of a plant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. board — to get on
  23. spring — of water
  24. rush — a thrill

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