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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: mark · file · straw · stem · calf · present · roll · plane

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. roll — a cake
  4. file — a line of people
  5. present — there
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. present — a gift
  8. mark — a trace
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. present — the time now
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. file — a tool
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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