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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · root · leaves · racket · bear · wind · sharp · track

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. root — the cause
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — of a word
  14. track — a path
  15. root — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wind — moving air
  24. racket — a loud noise

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