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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — letters
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bound — certain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bound — obliged
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spell — magic

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