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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. land — to come down
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. land — a country
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — ground
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — in geometry

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