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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 · stem · craft · race · toast · bear

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — the arms race
  9. craft — boats
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. craft — a skill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from

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