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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rash — a series
  5. branch — a division
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bore — to drill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rash — hasty
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  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