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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: last · straw · track · arm · spell · plane · ruler · root

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. plane — a tool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — final
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — to go on
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. root — of a word
  21. last — finally
  22. track — a song
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. spell — letters

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