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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: wound · bulb · scale · root · plane · saw · spell · straw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. scale — in music
  8. root — of a word
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — magic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — size or range
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a plant
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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