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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. land — ground
  5. craft — boats
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — the season
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — magic
  13. suit — in cards
  14. craft — a skill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — letters
  17. land — a country
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. land — to come down
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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