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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: coach · wind · rule · trunk · root · foot · snap · stick

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — government
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. root — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — a law
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. wind — moving air

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