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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: content · season · bark · stand · nail · plane · roll · stem

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stem — to come from
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — in sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — to bear
  15. roll — a list
  16. content — the amount
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — happy
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. plane — a tool
  24. season — of the year

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