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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stand — to bear
  3. date — the fruit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. capital — money
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — of a word
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. last — final
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. root — the cause
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — a tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. last — to go on

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