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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lean — to bend
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lean — thin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stem — a stem cell
  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