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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: root · plane · spell · rush · mine · saw · chair · fine

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. root — of a word
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — magic
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. root — the cause
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mine — for digging

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