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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 116 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: lie · row · root · saw · trunk · wind · leaves · ball

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wind — moving air
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ball — a great time
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a word
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — a line

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