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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — a subject
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. root — the cause
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — farmland
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — for sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. nail — on a finger

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