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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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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: trunk · degree · root · staff · chair · safe · straw · band

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. degree — an amount
  11. band — a ring
  12. degree — temperature
  13. band — a music group
  14. degree — from a university
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chair — a leader
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a rubber band

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