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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 · bank · root · plane · mine · degree · fall · face

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — the cause
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. root — of a plant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a word
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — for digging
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. face — to point toward
  17. degree — an amount
  18. face — part of the head
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — to bend
  24. face — to confront

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