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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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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: key · lash · trunk · wind · root · stand · tube · foot

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — the underground
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stand — to bear
  13. foot — a measure
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. key — in music
  24. root — of a word

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