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

Word bank: stem · plane · lash · rest · cell · present

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. present — the time now
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — there
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. present — a gift

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