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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: root · trunk · key · ruler · file · game · chest · spring

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chest — a box
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. root — the cause
  6. key — in music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. game — wild animals
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — of water
  20. chest — of your body
  21. spring — the season
  22. file — a line of people
  23. game — a match
  24. chest — of your body

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