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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: arm · season · trunk · present · rule · root · straw · ground

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — the earth
  3. present — a gift
  4. rule — a law
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. root — of a word
  11. season — of the year
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. root — the cause
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rule — government
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. root — of a plant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  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