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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: suit · rash · bank · branch · plane · stem · wake · row

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — hasty
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — a series
  19. branch — a division
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bank — of a river
  23. suit — to fit
  24. plane — a tool

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