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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mark — a trace
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. last — to go on
  14. bound — certain
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. last — finally
  17. plane — a tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. last — final
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cabinet — ministers

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