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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spring — the season
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. plane — a tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spring — of water
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — music
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. shower — rain
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — to come from

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