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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — to bend
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — of a word
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — the cause
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — for digging

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