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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 120 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: prune · mine · pop · plane · root · lean · track · race

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mine — for digging
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. lean — thin
  12. race — a contest
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. race — humankind
  22. pop — soda
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. track — a song

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