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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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Word bank
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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — child
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. root — the cause
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kid — to tease
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chair — a leader
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. dip — a sauce

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