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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: club · stem · perch · temple · bat · patient · plane · chip

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — for golf
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — the fish
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — a group
  16. bat — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — to eat
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — to come from

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