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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. root — the cause
  11. row — to paddle
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — a series
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a line
  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