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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: trunk · branch · drill · bat · ground · press · root · nail

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bat — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. branch — a division
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. drill — army training
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. drill — a practice
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. root — of a word
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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