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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. plane — a tool
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. kick — in football
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. toast — bread
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. plane — in geometry

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