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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · trunk · charge · staff · sharp · root · object · leaves

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — in control
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — electricity
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — to protest
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — an aim
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. leaves — to go away
  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