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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: plane · content · row · mark · trunk · current · root · wake

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. current — of water
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. content — the amount
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. current — electric
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. content — happy
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. root — the cause
  20. mark — a trace
  21. current — happening now
  22. root — of a word
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. row — to paddle

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