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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 · calf · toast · stem · file · drill · object · land

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. drill — the tool
  6. land — a country
  7. mate — a friend
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mate — to breed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. land — to come down
  14. drill — army training
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. file — a document
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. land — ground
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. drill — a practice
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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