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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: wave · bowl · lean · plane · lash · patient · vault · stem

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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