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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — the season
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — the cause
  7. club — for golf
  8. plane — a tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. root — of a word
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — of water
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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