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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. club — a group
  3. stem — to come from
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. hand — help
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cell — a phone
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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