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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a word
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — the cause
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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