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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. land — to come down
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. land — a country
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chip — for betting

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