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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: rash · plane · rock · stem · object · last · field · chip

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. object — a thing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. object — an aim
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. object — to protest
  18. last — final
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. field — farmland
  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