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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. season — of the year
  3. root — the cause
  4. game — wild animals
  5. root — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lean — to bend
  11. branch — a division
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. plane — a tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. season — in sport
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. branch — of a tree

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