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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — a break
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a word
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — a container
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. trunk — of a tree

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