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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — in a road
  8. craft — boats
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. charge — in control
  18. rash — a series
  19. field — farmland
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — a price

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