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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ground — a position
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — of ice
  14. sharp — clever
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — a hat
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. plane — in geometry
  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