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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: saw · chip · clip · snap · plane · season · face · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. clip — for paper
  8. root — of a word
  9. face — part of the head
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to click
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. clip — a video
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — a tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — of the year

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