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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. object — a thing
  14. stock — goods
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. game — wild animals

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