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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 124 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. last — to go on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a music group
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — final
  20. plane — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — finally
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kid — child

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