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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 116 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: track · plane · ball · root · lie · swing · shower · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. swing — to play on
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a song
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ball — a great time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. track — a path
  18. swing — music
  19. shower — rain
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — a tool
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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