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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. current — of water
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — to come from
  19. current — happening now
  20. lean — to bend
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cold — an illness

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