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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.

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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: lean · plane · root · net · band · track · nail · bulb

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. root — the cause
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. net — in sport
  10. lean — to bend
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. root — of a word
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — for catching
  16. root — of a plant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. track — a song
  20. net — after costs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — thin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a music group

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