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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 124 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — a container
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fine — all right
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. tube — the underground

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