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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · cap · face · squash · race · court · bulb · plane

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. squash — the sport
  4. court — of law
  5. cap — a lid
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. race — the arms race
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — a contest
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — a tool
  18. race — humankind
  19. court — for sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — of a king

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