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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · pitch · wake · leaves · foot · plane · stem · game

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. foot — a measure
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stem — to come from
  7. plane — a tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. game — a match
  11. object — a thing
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. object — an aim
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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