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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — in music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. staff — a stick
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — to drop
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cue — a signal

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