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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.

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: plane · pound · ball · sharp · stem · stand · calf · row

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. plane — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — to bear
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ball — a dance
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pound — a weight
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. row — a line

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