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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mark — a trace
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. plane — a tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bat — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. deal — to handle
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — of a plant

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