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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kid — child
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ball — a great time
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. suit — in cards
  21. root — of a word
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kid — to tease

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