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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stem — of a plant

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