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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: cue · row · root · chest · hide · trunk · press · bay

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chest — a box
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — the cause
  7. press — to push
  8. row — a line
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. press — newspapers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. row — to paddle
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. root — of a word
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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