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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · stand · bowl · stem · plane · bound · arm · field

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — certain
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. field — for sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — tied together

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