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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — a subject
  4. firm — a company
  5. row — to paddle
  6. firm — steady
  7. bark — to shout
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. snap — to click
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — size or range
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — in music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. row — a line
  24. stem — of a plant

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