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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. root — of a word
  8. net — for catching
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — a division
  18. fine — all right
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. net — after costs

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