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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: plane · chair · bear · land · sharp · stem · bark · suit

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — in cards
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. land — ground
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. suit — clothes
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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