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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. charge — in control
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. charge — electricity
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. object — an aim
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. wax — to grow
  19. object — to protest
  20. roll — a list
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — help
  23. object — a thing
  24. plane — an aircraft

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