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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cell — a phone
  21. degree — temperature
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — in football
  24. cell — in biology

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