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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: shower · stand · hand · arm · plane · stem · sharp · deal

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — help
  18. shower — to wash
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. shower — rain
  24. deal — a big deal

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