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

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hand — in cards
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hand — help
  12. rash — a series
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. dip — to sink
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — a short time
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — on the skin

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