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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · mate · leaves · stem · tear · nail · net · foot

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stem — to come from
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — in sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. net — for catching
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — to breed
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — after costs
  19. tear — to rip
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. leaves — of a tree

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