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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 116 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: prune · racket · plane · root · face · hide

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — the cause
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. root — of a plant
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to point toward
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a word
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. face — part of the head

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