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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rest — a break
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — shares
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — goods
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stem — to come from

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