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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lean — thin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stem — to come from
  17. race — humankind
  18. suit — to fit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. race — a contest

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