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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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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: plane · ground · snap · root · tear · cell · hide · fan

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — the cause
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — in biology
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cell — a phone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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