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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. roll — a list
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to bend
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — final
  10. staff — employees
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. last — to go on
  16. staff — employees
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. staff — a stick
  19. last — finally
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. squash — the sport
  22. track — a path
  23. roll — a cake
  24. squash — the vegetable

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