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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rock — music
  9. spell — letters
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mate — to breed

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