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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cell — a phone
  10. last — to go on
  11. cell — in biology
  12. last — final
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. coach — a trainer

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