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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 116 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: rush · plane · bear · fan · clip · rest · root · suit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rest — a break
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. suit — clothes
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — of a word
  23. clip — a video
  24. bear — the animal

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