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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: root · cell · face · spell · current · pound · plane · wind

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. spell — a short time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. root — of a word
  8. cell — a phone
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — letters
  11. cell — in biology
  12. root — of a plant
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. face — to confront
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — happening now

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