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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · file · jam · spring · board · trunk · dip · wind

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spring — the season
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spring — a coil
  14. file — a document
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — of a word
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spring — of water
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. file — a tool

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