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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: stand · straw · stem · plane · root · chest · foot · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. root — of a word
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — a box
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. root — the cause
  24. pop — to visit

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