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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — goods
  15. root — the cause
  16. stock — shares
  17. band — a music group
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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