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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: ball · net · root · bass · shower · lash · trunk · plane

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. root — the cause
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. net — in sport
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ball — a dance
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. shower — rain
  17. net — after costs
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bass — low music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. root — of a word
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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