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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: rest · bowl · plane · game · stem · cap · kid · mug

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. game — a match
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rest — what's left
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kid — child
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mug — a face
  21. cap — of ice
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kid — to tease

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