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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 120 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: land · saw · march · rush · root · plane · key · snap

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. land — to come down
  3. root — the cause
  4. land — a country
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. march — the month
  11. key — the most important part
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. march — the month
  14. snap — to click
  15. land — ground
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. march — music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. key — in music
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. saw — the tool

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