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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — the cause
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a music group
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fall — the season

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