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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: stem · plane · net · club · fan · hand · pass · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for golf
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — after costs
  20. stem — to come from
  21. club — a group
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pass — to spend time

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