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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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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 · stem · ground · racket · plane · wax · kid · fork

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kid — child
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ground — a position
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ground — crushed
  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