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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: stem · pop · bay · clip · plane · squash · can · racket

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pop — soda
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. stem — a stem cell

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