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

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a word
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — a tool
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — a box
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a plant
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — a sick person

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