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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 120 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: trunk · root · fall · pitcher · suit · chest · race · mouse

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — of a word
  6. race — a contest
  7. root — of a plant
  8. race — humankind
  9. suit — clothes
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chest — a box
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — the cause
  22. fall — the season
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mouse — the animal

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