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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — to wash
  5. drill — army training
  6. pop — soda
  7. shower — rain
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. root — the cause
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. craft — boats
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — of a word
  16. drill — a practice
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. craft — a skill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — music
  24. drill — the tool

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