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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 116 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: fan · plane · perch · deal · pit · saw · stem · wound

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — in a race
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pit — a hole
  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