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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 116 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: straw · net · can · mine · stem · firm · spell · plane

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — steady
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. can — to be able to
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spell — a short time
  12. net — after costs
  13. spell — magic
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. plane — a tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. mine — for digging

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