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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — the earth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — a tool

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