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

Word bank: stem · race · plane · dip · craft · tear · court · pop

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. court — of law
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pop — music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — for sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pop — soda
  20. race — humankind
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — of a king
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tear — from crying

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