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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. scale — size or range
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — a practice
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — the cause
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — army training
  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