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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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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 · present · ball · patient · snap · trunk · racket · fall

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. snap — to click
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. root — the cause
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — of a word
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fall — the season
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a great time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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