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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cell — in biology
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in a prison

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