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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · wound · chest · tube · root · prune

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — the cause
  5. chest — a box
  6. spring — the season
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tube — the underground
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — a container
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chest — of your body
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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