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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: land · squash · game · arm · plane · ball · stem · hide

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. land — ground
  4. game — wild animals
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. squash — the sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. land — a country
  12. game — a match
  13. land — to come down
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. squash — to crush

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