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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — of a word
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hand — help
  9. dip — to sink
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. staff — a stick
  12. root — the cause
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hand — in cards
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — of the year
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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