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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 120 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: root · trunk · mark · bear · leaves · spring · rest · squash

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spring — the season
  9. root — of a word
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spring — of water
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rest — a break
  24. mark — a trace

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