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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: chest · bulb · staff · stem · suit · net · ground · plane

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. chest — of your body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — in cards
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. net — after costs
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — for light
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chest — a box
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bulb — for light

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