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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. present — the time now
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. field — for sport
  7. key — the most important part
  8. field — a subject
  9. mate — to breed
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. spring — of water
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. field — farmland
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. present — there
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. wind — moving air

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