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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
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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: spell · band · mark · root · plane · mine · staff · snap

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — a tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — for digging
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a ring
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. root — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spell — a short time
  18. root — the cause
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spell — magic
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. snap — to click
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — belonging to me

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