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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 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. plane — a tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — for money
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. root — the cause
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. nail — on a finger

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