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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. root — the cause
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wake — a trail
  11. dip — to sink
  12. root — of a word
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — to be able to
  15. branch — a division
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — in cards
  20. season — of the year
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — in sport

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