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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a skill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — in a road
  16. root — of a plant
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. craft — boats
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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