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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 124 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. fork — to eat with
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a document
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. march — music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. march — the month
  23. root — the cause
  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