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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: trunk · mate · bay · kick · spring · ground · root · pass

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mate — a partner
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spring — a coil
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — of water
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. root — of a word
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kick — in football
  23. ground — a position
  24. pass — to succeed

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