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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. key — in music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — for a lock
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — happy
  23. game — wild animals
  24. content — the amount

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