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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: plane · cell · row · fall · spell · kick · stand · ground

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a line
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fall — the season
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. row — to paddle
  18. spell — letters
  19. cell — a phone
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — in football
  24. ground — the earth

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