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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: root · safe · trunk · chest · court · cabinet · lash · bulb

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — a box
  9. bulb — for light
  10. root — the cause
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — of a king
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. court — for sport

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