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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. root — the cause
  7. drill — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — a permit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. drill — a practice
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. drill — army training
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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