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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: root · content · lash · court · staff · clip · plane · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. court — of a king
  11. clip — for paper
  12. root — the cause
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — for sport
  16. tube — a container
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. clip — a video
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. court — of law
  22. clip — to cut
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. staff — employees

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