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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — the animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stem — to come from

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