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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. branch — a division
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. root — of a plant
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cap — a lid
  19. object — to protest
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. root — of a word
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. branch — of a bank

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