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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. stem — to come from
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mug — a cup
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fork — to eat with

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