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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: nail · suit · staff · ground · foot · root · plane · row

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. root — of a word
  3. suit — clothes
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. suit — to fit
  7. staff — a stick
  8. root — the cause
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. row — to paddle
  12. staff — employees
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — in cards
  24. plane — an aircraft

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