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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. file — a document
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — a container
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stand — on your feet
  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