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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — rain
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a dance
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — help
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. root — the cause
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — a tool
  24. hand — in cards

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