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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. spring — the season
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. spell — a short time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — to be able to
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spell — magic
  15. stem — to come from
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. face — to confront
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — letters
  23. spring — a coil
  24. face — to point toward

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