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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pass — a permit
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. branch — a division
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lean — thin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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