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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. degree — an amount
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. degree — from a university
  13. foot — a measure
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — certain
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — on a finger

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