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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: stem · club · fan · plane · pass · vault · hand · wave

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for golf
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. vault — a safe
  22. club — a group
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hand — help

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