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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — to tease
  9. staff — a stick
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — a country
  13. chair — a leader
  14. last — to go on
  15. land — to come down
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. land — ground
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kid — child
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. root — the cause
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — part of the body

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