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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. present — there
  3. swing — in golf
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. root — of a word
  10. swing — music
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the sport
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — to crush
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. root — of a plant
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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