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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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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: snap · mug · trunk · cabinet · root · nail · wake · lie

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mug — a cup
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — a face
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mug — to rob
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — to recline
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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