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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · nail · root · fine · squash · rash · game · trunk

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. root — the cause
  2. fine — high quality
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chest — a box
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. root — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. squash — the sport
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. root — of a word
  23. squash — to crush
  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