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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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Word bank
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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: cap · board · trunk · mine · sharp · root · safe · bulb

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — the cause
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — a lid
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — for digging
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. board — a committee
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — clever

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