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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: band · saw · ruler · plane · wake · cell · root · object

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — of a word
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — a phone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. object — an aim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ruler — a monarch

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