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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. object — an aim
  5. root — of a word
  6. spring — a coil
  7. root — of a plant
  8. object — to protest
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spring — the season
  24. object — a thing

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