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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: root · net · craft · mate · band · plane · wave · staff

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. craft — boats
  4. net — for catching
  5. band — a music group
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — to breed
  11. root — of a plant
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mate — a partner
  14. staff — a stick
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. band — a ring
  17. craft — a skill
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — after costs
  20. root — of a word
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — the cause
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. plane — an aircraft

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