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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: season · plane · stem · lash · wave · fall · chair · cap

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stem — to come from
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. season — of the year
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fall — the season
  22. cap — a hat
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fall — to drop

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