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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: row · mark · dip · hand · firm · shower · plane · stem

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a line
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. firm — steady
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — a grade
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stem — to come from
  16. firm — a company
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. row — to paddle
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. shower — rain
  22. firm — decided
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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