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

Word bank: ruler · root · pound · bat · leaves · dip · prune · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — to sink
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. root — of a plant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — of a tree

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