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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: stem · suit · face · bass · plane · mine · racket · bore

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. face — to confront
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — the fish
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stem — to come from
  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