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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — the cause
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wind — moving air
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. root — of a word
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. object — an aim
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. object — a thing
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. dip — to sink

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