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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: plane · can · rock · root · squash · stick · date · wake

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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