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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — clever
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — of water
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. root — of a word
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — the season

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