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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: rock · plane · spell · root · hand · track · firm · saw

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. firm — a company
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — a tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — a stone
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. track — a path
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rock — music
  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