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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: bulb · band · plane · shower · perch · root · bank · field

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. shower — rain
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. perch — the fish
  7. root — of a word
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — the cause
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. band — a music group
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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