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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spring — the season
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ground — the earth
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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