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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · drill · leaves · deal · plane · wound · content · stem

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. plane — a tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. roll — a cake
  6. content — happy
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wound — an injury
  10. drill — army training
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. content — the amount
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stem — to come from
  22. drill — a practice
  23. roll — a list
  24. plane — in geometry

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