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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: land · bear · kid · stem · field · plane · present · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. land — a country
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. land — to come down
  11. present — a gift
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. kid — to tease
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. present — there
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. field — farmland
  22. stem — to come from
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. roll — a list

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