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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ball — a great time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. branch — a division
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. file — a document
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — the month
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. march — the month

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