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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.

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: root · trunk · rash · drill · bark · bass · mug · arm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. root — the cause
  4. rash — a series
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — army training
  14. bass — low music
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mug — a cup
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. root — of a word

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