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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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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: stand · bat · root · land · present · plane · temple · craft

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. plane — a tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. present — a gift
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. land — a country
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. land — to come down
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — ground
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — the time now
  24. craft — a skill

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