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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 124 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kid — child
  16. cap — of ice
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. net — after costs
  22. stem — to come from
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wind — to turn a key

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