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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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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 · saw · snap · root · fall · board · mark · rash

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — hasty
  6. root — the cause
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. root — of a word
  24. fall — the season

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