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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: chip · dip · plane · stem · root · coach · fork · wave

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stem — to come from
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. root — of a plant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chip — to eat
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. plane — a tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. fork — in a road

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