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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
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: safe · bat · trunk · wound · jam · rock · tube · root

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wound — an injury
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rock — music
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. safe — out of danger
  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