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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spring — the season
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. root — the cause
  6. spring — of water
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. dip — to sink
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — a stone
  16. root — of a word
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wax — to grow
  19. plane — a tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — music
  24. wax — in the ear

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