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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. root — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spring — of water
  19. root — the cause
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fork — in a road
  23. root — of a word
  24. bore — to drill

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