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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — high quality
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bear — to put up with

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