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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: track · root · plane · bark · arm · saw · file · mate

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. file — a document
  3. root — of a word
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. root — the cause
  12. file — a line of people
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — a song
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — a path

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