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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: lean · snap · bowl · root · shower · plane · net · mark

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — to wash
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. net — after costs
  8. shower — rain
  9. root — of a word
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — a tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. net — for catching
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lean — thin
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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