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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: spell · sharp · stand · root · snap · straw · fall · plane

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. plane — a tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. sharp — clever
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. snap — to click
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stand — to bear
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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