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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: leaves · net · rule · stem · staff · toast · mate · board

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. staff — a stick
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — to come from
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. board — to get on
  17. mate — a friend
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. board — a committee
  22. rule — government
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stem — a stem cell

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