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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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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: rash · stand · root · trunk · fall · plane · coach · club

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for golf
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — a group
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — of a word
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. plane — in geometry

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