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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: leaves · tube · prune · bowl · plane · root · wind · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — a tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. root — of a word

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