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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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 — in geometry
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. land — to come down
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  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