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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: tear · rock · bat · charge · trunk · march · safe · root

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. rock — music
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. tear — from crying
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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