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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: root · firm · trunk · court · lean · land · wound · mate

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — to bend
  10. land — ground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. court — of a king
  16. land — to come down
  17. court — of law
  18. firm — a company
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — a friend
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — a country
  23. firm — steady
  24. wound — an injury

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