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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. march — the month
  2. cell — a phone
  3. court — for sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — music
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. craft — boats
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. court — of law
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stem — to come from
  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