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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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468
Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. root — the cause
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. content — happy
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — a hat
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cap — of ice
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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