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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: plane · wake · bank · roll · pass · bear · lash · stem

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. roll — a list
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wake — a trail
  23. plane — a tool
  24. roll — a cake

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