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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stem — to come from
  4. band — a music group
  5. rest — a break
  6. craft — boats
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. band — a ring
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — in football
  18. cold — an illness
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. face — to point toward
  22. craft — a skill
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cold — the Cold War

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