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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. content — the amount
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. row — a line
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — to come from
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — a tool
  17. content — happy
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. tube — the underground

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