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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: plane · bark · stand · stem · land · suit · bat · shower

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. land — ground
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bark — to shout
  12. land — a country
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — rain
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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