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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 124 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — a face
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — a cup
  8. root — the cause
  9. key — the most important part
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. sharp — clever
  12. toast — bread
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. key — for a lock
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. root — of a word
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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