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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — a leader
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. net — for catching
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. net — in sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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