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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kick — in football
  8. bound — tied together
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — certain
  11. suit — to fit
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. suit — clothes
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wind — to turn a key

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