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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 124 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spring — the season
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. roll — a cake
  9. root — the cause
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. root — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. root — of a word
  21. spring — a coil
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. row — a line
  24. mouse — for a computer

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