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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stem — to come from
  22. track — a path
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spring — of water

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