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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — of a word
  8. tear — from crying
  9. land — ground
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — a country
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — an aircraft

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