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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: key · land · lie · trunk · bear · root · race · hand

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. land — ground
  4. race — the arms race
  5. hand — in cards
  6. land — a country
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — to come down
  10. root — the cause
  11. hand — help
  12. root — of a plant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. race — a contest
  15. key — in music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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