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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — a series
  4. prune — to trim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — hasty
  15. root — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — on the skin

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