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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fall — to drop
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — a box
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mug — a face
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. racket — for tennis

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