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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · plane · root · bulb · trunk · deal · date · mine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — a stick
  5. root — of a word
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. root — the cause
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. plane — an aircraft

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