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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. plane — a tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. root — of a word
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. present — there
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — a gift
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. root — the cause
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cell — in biology

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