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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 120 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 · saw · trunk · stand · mate · face · band · stem

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. band — a ring
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mate — to breed
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. band — a music group
  19. face — to point toward
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — to bear

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