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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
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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: cap · staff · saw · root · plane · band · stand · roll

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. roll — a cake
  3. staff — a stick
  4. band — a ring
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. root — the cause
  7. cap — of ice
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — a lid
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. root — of a word
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. staff — employees
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — of a plant

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