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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. court — of law
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — a tool
  9. court — of a king
  10. rock — music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — clothes
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. court — for sport

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