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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: root · bowl · face · plane · last · trunk · prune · dip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — the cause
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. last — final
  8. face — to confront
  9. last — finally
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — to go on
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. face — part of the head
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. face — to point toward
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — a sauce

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