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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — the sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. date — the fruit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tube — in a tire

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