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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · mark · chair · root · tube · deal · straw · lash

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tube — a container
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — the cause
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — of a plant
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. tube — the underground
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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