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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. face — to point toward
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wound — an injury
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fall — the season
  15. stem — to come from
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fall — to drop
  19. craft — boats
  20. suit — in cards
  21. plane — a tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wound — an injury

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