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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: band · fall · plane · stem · land · suit · sharp · mouse

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — ground
  12. suit — to fit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fall — to drop
  20. land — to come down
  21. fall — the season
  22. band — a music group
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. plane — a tool

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