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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 116 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 · root · wind · firm · squash · rock · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. firm — a company
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. firm — steady
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — of a word
  18. squash — to crush
  19. firm — decided
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. squash — the sport

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