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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: leaves · root · plane · last · dip · stand · fan · spring

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — to bear
  11. last — to go on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spring — the season
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. dip — to sink
  20. plane — a tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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