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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. row — a line
  13. spell — magic
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mark — a trace
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spell — letters

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