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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: lash · object · game · band · track · trunk · plane · stem

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stem — to come from
  11. plane — a tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. band — a music group
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — a thing
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. object — to protest
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. track — a song

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