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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: toast · stem · sharp · wave · plane · net · cell · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cell — in biology
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — bread
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. net — for catching
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stem — to come from

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