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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spring — of water
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — a coil
  10. last — finally
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. season — of the year
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lie — to recline
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. last — final
  21. spring — the season
  22. season — in sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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