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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 116 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: lash · press · sharp · field · stem · content · wake · plane

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. press — newspapers
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. field — farmland
  7. content — the amount
  8. press — a publisher
  9. content — happy
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. field — a subject
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. press — to push
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lash — to lash out

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