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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — a tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rash — a series
  15. band — a music group
  16. press — a publisher
  17. band — a ring
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — to push
  24. bowl — to roll

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