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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.

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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: spring · rush · lash · track · root · trunk · pit · last

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — a coil
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — a song
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — to keep track
  11. last — final
  12. track — a path
  13. root — of a word
  14. spring — the season
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. last — finally
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — to go on
  24. trunk — of a tree

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