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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lean — thin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. squash — to crush
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — help
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. root — of a word

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