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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. branch — a division
  5. game — a match
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bound — certain
  14. plane — a tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — to come from
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. game — wild animals
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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