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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: dip · fine · object · net · game · stem · spell · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spell — a short time
  4. net — in sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. object — to protest
  7. game — wild animals
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — for catching
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — a match
  12. object — a thing
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. object — an aim
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spell — letters
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — after costs
  24. stem — to come from

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