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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 120 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: plane · dip · stem · pass · cell · trunk · race · wax

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. dip — to sink
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. race — humankind
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cell — in biology
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pass — to spend time

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