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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. drill — a practice
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. drill — army training
  15. track — a path
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — to confront

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