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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. land — ground
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. root — of a word
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. suit — clothes
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. root — of a plant
  14. suit — in cards
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — a country
  17. suit — to fit
  18. root — the cause
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fork — in a road
  21. land — to come down
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. plane — in geometry

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