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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. plane — a tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stem — to come from
  19. game — a match
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stem — a stem cell

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