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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. field — a subject
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — a song
  6. field — for sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. field — farmland
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. track — a path
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. prune — to trim

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