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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.

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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 · bear · last · sharp · march · nail · face

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. march — the month
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. march — the month
  14. last — finally
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — to confront
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. face — to point toward
  19. last — final
  20. march — music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. last — to go on
  24. bear — 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