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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
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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: plane · mug · clip · jam · root · march · wind · stand

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. root — the cause
  10. clip — to cut
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. clip — a video
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mug — a face
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — of a word
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mug — a cup
  22. march — music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. clip — for paper

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