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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: chest · suit · root · trunk · date · mug · wound · rash

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. suit — in cards
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. date — the fruit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. root — the cause
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mug — a face
  15. rash — hasty
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chest — a box
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. mug — a cup

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