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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. root — the cause
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. court — of law
  18. bound — certain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — of a king
  24. plane — a tool

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