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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: bound · press · land · board · stem · shower · plane · can

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — a tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. press — newspapers
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. press — to push
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bound — certain
  21. land — ground
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. land — a country
  24. board — a flat piece

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