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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: can · snap · rush · tube · date · root · wind · trunk

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — hurry
  3. root — the cause
  4. date — the fruit
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. root — of a word
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wind — to turn a key

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