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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stem — to come from
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. capital — money
  13. object — to protest
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — a thing
  21. fine — high quality
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. object — an aim
  24. calf — a young animal

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