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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 116 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: pit · fall · squash · spell · plane · field · charge · root

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. spell — a short time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. charge — a price
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pit — a hole
  11. charge — in control
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — letters
  16. fall — the season
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. field — farmland
  20. squash — the sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — in a race
  23. spell — magic
  24. root — of a plant

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