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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cap — a lid
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. root — of a word
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — of ice
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — the cause
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cap — a hat

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