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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. ground — a position
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pass — a permit
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — the earth
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. plane — a tool
  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