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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — to eat
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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