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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — to come from
  5. game — wild animals
  6. face — to point toward
  7. drill — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — part of the head
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — army training
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kick — with a leg

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