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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — a list
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. shower — rain
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bat — the animal

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