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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: rash · ground · mine · roll · plane · press · board · root

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. press — to push
  13. roll — a list
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rash — a series
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ground — a position
  23. rash — hasty
  24. root — the cause

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