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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: trunk · root · scale · coach · saw · temple · plane · wind

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. root — of a word
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — the cause
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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