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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: track · fan · stem · foot · patient · wave · trunk · plane

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. plane — a tool
  9. track — a path
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. foot — a measure
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stem — a stem cell

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