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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: leaves · racket · shower · bay · temple · root · plane · wave

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. plane — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — of a word
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. shower — to wash
  18. root — of a plant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — the cause
  21. shower — rain
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. temple — a place of worship

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