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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: plane · last · mine · scale · stem · row · club · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — size or range
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. row — a line
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. club — for golf
  19. last — finally
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. last — to go on
  22. stem — to come from
  23. scale — in music
  24. mine — for digging

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