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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 120 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
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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: mark · can · swing · chest · rush · bowl · root · trunk

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chest — of your body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. root — of a word
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chest — a box
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. root — the cause
  15. swing — in golf
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — music

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