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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pop — soda
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pop — music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stem — to come from
  17. root — of a word
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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