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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ 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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spell — a short time
  3. last — finally
  4. fine — all right
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. snap — to click
  9. stem — to come from
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spell — magic
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. last — final
  21. fine — high quality
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spell — letters
  24. 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