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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — a grade
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bound — certain
  16. present — there
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. 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