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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: bay · trunk · root · fall · kid · bank · plane · wave

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — for money
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. root — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. root — the cause
  24. kid — child

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