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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mug — a face
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — to come from
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. stand — to bear

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