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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. firm — steady
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — a company
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rest — a break
  24. bulb — for light

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