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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: root · capital · staff · trunk · chest · lean · object · fork

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. root — of a word
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. staff — employees
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. object — to protest
  19. staff — employees
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chest — of your body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. object — an aim

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