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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — for sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — of water
  11. plane — a tool
  12. court — of law
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. current — electric
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. court — of a king
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lash — an eyelash

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