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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.

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: net · fall · stem · kick · charge · bass · plane · toast

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bass — low music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fall — the season
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. toast — bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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