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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. content — happy
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. dip — to sink
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. drill — army training
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stand — to bear
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. content — the amount
  22. plane — a tool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stand — on your feet

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