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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.

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: key · can · arm · bore · root · plane · season · cell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. can — to be able to
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bore — to drill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. root — of a word
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cell — a phone
  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