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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · deal · lean · root · file · mine · plane · trunk

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lean — thin
  14. root — the cause
  15. plane — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lean — to bend
  24. root — of a word

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