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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.

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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: rock · plane · fall · cabinet · bay · stem · land · swing

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. land — a country
  8. rock — a stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. land — to come down
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. swing — in golf
  16. land — ground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — in geometry

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