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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: bat · present · drill · chip · root · snap · safe · trunk

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. drill — army training
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to click
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. present — the time now
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chip — for betting
  17. root — of a word
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — the cause
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. root — of a plant

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