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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. board — to get on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. board — a committee
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. spring — the season
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. leaves — of a tree

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