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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: bound · spell · net · can · land · stem · fall · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — a tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — for catching
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. land — to come down
  15. spell — letters
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. spell — magic
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bound — obliged
  24. net — in sport

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