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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stand — to bear
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. march — the month
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. degree — temperature
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — to shout
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fall — to drop

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