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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — of a word
  5. lean — thin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. shower — rain
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rash — a series
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rash — hasty

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