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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — help
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. root — the cause
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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