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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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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: plane · mark · tube · rule · row · foot · stem · season

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — a line
  7. season — in sport
  8. rule — government
  9. tube — a container
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tube — the underground
  13. plane — a tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — a grade
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stem — of a plant

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