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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: swing · rest · wound · kick · rule · trunk · stem · root

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kick — in football
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rule — a law
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — a break
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rule — government
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. root — the cause
  23. rest — what's left
  24. swing — in golf

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