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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. march — music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. craft — boats

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