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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: land · plane · lean · roll · chest · ball · stem · wake

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. land — a country
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. roll — a list
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wake — a trail
  24. chest — of your body

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