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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — for catching
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — of water
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. net — in sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spring — of water
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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