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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: saw · tear · land · court · can · plane · stem · charge

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tear — to rip
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — for sport
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — to be able to
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stem — to come from

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