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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: ruler · plane · stem · mug · snap · pit · cabinet · fan

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. snap — to click
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a face
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pit — in a race

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