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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — a tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. suit — to fit
  16. branch — a division
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. suit — clothes
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — to come from

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