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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pit — a hole
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. last — finally
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kid — child
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rush — a thrill

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