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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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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 · plane · pop · mark · temple · fall · fan · last

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. pop — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stem — to come from
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. fall — the season
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — to go on
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pop — soda
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — to visit
  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