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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spring — the season
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. net — in sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. net — after costs
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. suit — in cards
  16. net — for catching
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. suit — to fit
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. spring — of water
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — belonging to me

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