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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · mine · root · pass · pit · last · trunk · bulb

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. last — final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. last — finally
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — of a word
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — a hole
  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