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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: pop · plane · wave · stem · patient · tube · face · pitcher

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. plane — a tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pop — soda
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. face — to confront
  18. tube — a container
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. patient — a sick person

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