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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: kid · court · bear · stem · staff · plane · arm · fall

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. court — of law
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. court — of a king
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fall — the season
  18. staff — employees
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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