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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. file — a line of people
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. sharp — clever
  9. file — a document
  10. suit — to fit
  11. row — to paddle
  12. file — a tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — of a word
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. root — the cause
  23. suit — clothes
  24. trunk — of a car

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