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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. land — ground
  5. cell — in biology
  6. land — a country
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. current — happening now
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — of a word
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. current — electric
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bore — to drill
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. land — to come down
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. current — of water
  23. root — the cause
  24. toast — the most admired

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