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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: craft · cap · sharp · present · root · dip · plane · cell

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — boats
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. present — there
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cell — a phone
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. root — of a word
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — a hat
  15. present — a gift
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — the cause
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. craft — a skill
  22. present — the time now
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cell — in biology

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