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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: trunk · nail · mine · rush · root · degree · face · arm

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. degree — from a university
  5. face — to confront
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rush — hurry
  16. degree — temperature
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. root — of a word
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. degree — an amount

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