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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 116 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: pitch · sharp · last · hide · stem · rule · tear · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rule — government
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — a law
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. last — finally
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — to go on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. tear — from crying
  22. last — final
  23. stem — of a plant
  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