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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lean — to bend
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lean — thin
  9. content — the amount
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — clever
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — to come from
  16. plane — a tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. content — happy
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fine — all right
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. sharp — exactly

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