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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. court — of a king
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. court — for sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chip — for betting
  15. clip — a video
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — of law
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. plane — a tool

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