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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. squash — the sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. root — the cause
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. root — of a word
  11. object — to protest
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. squash — to crush
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. object — an aim
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tube — the underground
  24. drill — army training

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