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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · rest · root · plane · bark · fan · trunk · lash

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. root — of a word
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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