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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · bear · net · root · plane · sharp · straw · lash

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. root — the cause
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spell — a short time
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. spell — letters
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — after costs
  24. root — of a word

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