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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: mine · plane · pop · nail · wake · lean · bulb · root

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. root — of a word
  7. wake — a trail
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. root — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. root — the cause
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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