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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 120 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: fork · spring · face · nail · court · plane · root · sharp

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. court — for sport
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. court — of law
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — the cause
  13. face — to confront
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. root — of a word
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — in a road
  23. court — of a king
  24. face — to point toward

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