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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're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — a list
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hand — in cards
  15. deal — to handle
  16. chest — of your body
  17. squash — to crush
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. root — the cause
  20. hand — help
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fan — a supporter

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