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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — the fruit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stem — to come from
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. branch — a division
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lash — to lash out

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