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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — to recline
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. row — a line
  24. snap — to click

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