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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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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 · wound · key · plane · root · rest · ball · deal

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — of a word
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — the most important part
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — a big deal

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