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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: fan · plane · stem · firm · content · sharp

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — happy
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — a tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. firm — steady
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. firm — decided
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — the amount

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