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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: racket · plane · bank · stem · wax · date · race · chip

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. race — humankind
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. race — the arms race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — to grow
  17. race — a contest
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — to eat

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