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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: sharp · land · plane · stem · bank · clip · rest · arm

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stem — to come from
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — a break
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. clip — a video
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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