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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: stem · cell · craft · mouse · mate · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — boats
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cell — a phone
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mouse — the animal

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