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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — thin
  4. pop — to visit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. root — of a word
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — the cause
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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