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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. present — there
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. game — wild animals
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — a gift
  20. game — a match
  21. craft — boats
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — the time now
  24. snap — to click

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