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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · tube · spring · firm · plane · root · spell · rest

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spring — a coil
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. tube — a container
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. firm — decided
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — letters
  15. mate — a friend
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. root — the cause
  24. firm — steady

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