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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: fall · plane · stem · spring · current · hand · ball · racket

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — to come from
  13. current — electric
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hand — help
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fall — the season
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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