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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — to come from
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. sharp — clever
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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