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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. land — to come down
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — a country
  10. present — the time now
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hand — help
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. land — ground
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. present — a gift
  24. plane — in geometry

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