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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: spell · jam · kick · march · stem · sharp · can · plane

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — letters
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — in football
  17. plane — a tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stem — to come from
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. spell — magic

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