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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. root — the cause
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. face — to confront
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spring — of water
  7. board — a committee
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — the season
  10. last — final
  11. track — to keep track
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. last — finally
  15. track — a song
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. root — of a plant
  19. face — to point toward
  20. track — a path
  21. last — to go on
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. plane — a tool
  24. face — part of the head

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