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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: foot · leaves · craft · cold · cell · stem · stick · plane

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — a skill
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — in biology
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cold — an illness
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cold — not warm
  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