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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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