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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · rash · trunk · toast · leaves · stem · dip · wave

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. toast — bread
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — a sauce

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