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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. root — the cause
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fork — in a road
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spell — magic
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — to eat with

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