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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 120 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: race · rest · plane · stem · press · chip

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. race — a contest
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — to eat
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. race — humankind
  17. press — to push
  18. plane — an aircraft

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