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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: plane · cabinet · root · swing · band · cap · drill · leaves

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. plane — a tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. root — of a plant
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. root — the cause
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cap — of ice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. root — of a word
  24. swing — to play on

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