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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. last — to go on
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — a line
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — finally
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. row — to paddle
  16. last — final
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. coach — a trainer

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