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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.

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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 · temple · mark · root · fork · snap · straw · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. snap — to click
  6. fork — in a road
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — a tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a word
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. root — of a plant

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