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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
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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: wound · stick · plane · ruler · hide · spring · root · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — a coil
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — the cause
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. root — of a word

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