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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. spell — magic
  3. march — music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spell — letters
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. march — the month
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — a young 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