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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: stem · rush · plane · bowl · cell · swing · drill · mate

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mate — to breed
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. swing — in golf
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mate — a friend
  17. swing — music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. drill — army training
  24. stem — to come from

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