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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. firm — a company
  4. court — for sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. court — of law
  7. shower — rain
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tear — from crying
  12. firm — steady
  13. stem — to come from
  14. firm — decided
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — a tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tear — to rip
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — part of the body

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