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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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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: cell · fall · pit · firm · stem · chair · can · plane

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pit — a hole
  3. firm — a company
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cell — a phone
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chair — a leader
  18. can — a tin
  19. firm — decided
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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