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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: branch · face · racket · plane · race · stem · patient · pop

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — to come from
  5. face — to confront
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — a tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. race — humankind
  20. pop — to visit
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — soda

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