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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. present — there
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — the cause
  9. fall — the season
  10. present — a gift
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. game — a match
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mine — for digging
  16. present — the time now
  17. pound — a weight
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a plant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — a handicraft

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