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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. band — a music group
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. band — a ring
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. root — the cause
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. root — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. arm — part of the body
  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