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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — to breed
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — the season
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stock — goods
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. spring — of water
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stand — to bear

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