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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: mine · squash · safe · racket · root · rest · trunk · branch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — to crush
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. root — the cause

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