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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. stem — to come from
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. band — a music group
  8. rush — hurry
  9. capital — money
  10. band — a ring
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. capital — a city
  13. cold — an illness
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mug — to rob

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