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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.

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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: plane · fall · dip · root · ground · fine · net · firm

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. firm — a company
  4. dip — to sink
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — in sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. root — of a word
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — all right
  15. firm — steady
  16. ground — crushed
  17. root — the cause
  18. net — after costs
  19. ground — a position
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — for catching
  24. ground — the earth

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