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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. key — the most important part
  4. march — the month
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chest — of your body
  8. march — the month
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chest — a box
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — a tool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. racket — for tennis

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