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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: trunk · safe · track · root · bay · mouse · prune · file

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. file — a document
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. root — of a word
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. file — a tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. file — a line of people
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. root — the cause

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