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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: snap · root · trunk · plane · wave · game · arm · mark

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — the cause
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. game — a match
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — a grade
  24. arm — a part of something

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