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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — a list
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — in cards
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. roll — a cake
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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