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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. roll — a list
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. last — final
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — army training
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. roll — on a roll

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