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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bear · rest · mug · prune · stem · fine · net

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mug — a face
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. plane — a tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — for catching
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rest — a break
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stem — a stem cell

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