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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: mate · plane · leaves · fork · toast · pass · row · saw

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. saw — the tool
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mate — a friend
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. pass — to succeed

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