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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · lash · bulb · stem · wound · branch · date · plane

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — a division
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — to come from
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — the fruit

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