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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — to come from
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — a face
  7. track — a song
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — to paddle
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — a cup
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — letters

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