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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.

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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: present · plane · deal · fan · craft · mate · rock · stand

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. present — a gift
  4. craft — a skill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — there
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — boats
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — to breed

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