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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: pop · racket · spell · rush · root · arm · plane · leaves

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pop — soda
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spell — magic
  22. rush — hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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