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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
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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: cap · hand · land · object · lash · date · root · trunk

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — of a word
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. root — the cause
  8. cap — a lid
  9. root — of a plant
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — ground
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — help
  15. cap — of ice
  16. land — to come down
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hand — in cards
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lash — to lash out

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