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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. object — an aim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — to protest
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — a thing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — for catching
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — a trail

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