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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: plane · rock · root · field · capital · lie · wake · firm

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. firm — decided
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. capital — a city
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — steady
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — a subject
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. field — for sport
  20. wake — a trail
  21. capital — money
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — farmland
  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