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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spell — magic
  3. root — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — a short time
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rash — hasty
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — a series
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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