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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
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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: toast · wound · rush · content · root · trunk · nail · rock

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. toast — bread
  3. root — the cause
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — hurry
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — the amount
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. content — happy
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. root — of a word
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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