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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wound — an injury
  4. last — final
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a signal
  9. last — to go on
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rule — a law
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rule — government
  19. vault — a safe
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cue — for pool
  23. last — finally
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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