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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: foot · trunk · toast · root · lash · pit · object · mouse

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. toast — bread
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — the cause
  18. object — an aim
  19. root — of a word
  20. object — a thing
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pit — a hole

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