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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 · drill · plane · hide · saw · spring · lean · row

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. root — the cause
  8. lean — to bend
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. drill — a practice
  11. spring — of water
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — army training
  17. lean — thin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — of a word
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — the season

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