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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stem — to come from
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. scale — in music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. snap — to click
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — in a road
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. plane — a tool

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