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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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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: trunk · root · ruler · net · pit · kid · clip · plane

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pit — a hole
  8. root — of a word
  9. kid — child
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — to tease
  12. clip — to cut
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — in a race
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — for paper
  20. plane — a tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. trunk — of a tree

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