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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: kick · can · trunk · clip · staff · squash · root · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — to be able to
  11. root — the cause
  12. firm — decided
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. staff — a stick
  16. firm — steady
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. clip — for paper
  20. root — of a plant
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. root — of a word
  24. squash — to crush

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