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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. last — finally
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — a song
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — final
  14. stem — to come from
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — a path
  23. last — to go on
  24. cell — in biology

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