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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 120 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: rush · root · stem · mate · fan · plane · vault · pass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. root — of a plant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. root — of a word
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. root — the cause
  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