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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. root — of a word
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hand — help
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cap — a lid
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — final
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — finally
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hand — in cards
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. last — to go on

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