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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. root — of a word
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tube — the underground
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — a measure
  10. root — the cause
  11. face — to point toward
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. root — of a plant
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. tube — a container
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — the bottom

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