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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: leaves · craft · straw · bay · root · rule · trunk · bat

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rule — government
  11. bat — the animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — the cause
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. craft — boats

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