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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: mark · root · suit · rock · clip · plane · spring · land

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. clip — a video
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — a trace
  10. land — to come down
  11. mark — a grade
  12. suit — in cards
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. land — a country
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — the season
  20. suit — clothes
  21. clip — to cut
  22. land — ground
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — of water

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