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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 116 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
468
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: fan · present · mate · lean · straw · stem · plane · game

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. present — a gift
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. game — a match
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. present — there
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lean — thin
  24. game — a kind of play

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