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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 116 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 · court · plane · calf · spell · ball · saw · straw

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. court — for sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — a tool
  7. court — of a king
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — letters
  16. ball — a dance
  17. court — of law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spell — magic
  22. ball — a great time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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