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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: mate · plane · stem · rule · toast · craft

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rule — government
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mate — a partner
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. toast — bread
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — boats
  15. rule — a law
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. plane — a tool

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