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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
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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: spell · leaves · root · trunk · squash · court · roll · face

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. roll — a cake
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — magic
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spell — a short time
  7. roll — a list
  8. root — the cause
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. squash — the sport
  12. court — of law
  13. root — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. squash — to crush
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. face — to confront
  21. root — of a word
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. squash — the vegetable

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