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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. root — the cause
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a music group
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mine — for digging
  19. root — of a plant
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mine — belonging to me

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