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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: nail · plane · squash · saw · track · stem · lash · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — to keep track
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stem — to come from
  17. track — a song
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. track — a path
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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