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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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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: stem · pop · pit · sharp · plane · track · file · leaves

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stem — to come from
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pop — music
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. file — a document
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. file — a tool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — in geometry

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