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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: land · file · pit · wound · craft · root · plane · bulb

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. land — to come down
  4. file — a tool
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — a hole
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — boats
  10. root — the cause
  11. plane — a tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a document
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. root — of a word
  23. wound — an injury
  24. file — a line of people

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