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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · pop · temple · stem · coach · mine · spring · saw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — the season
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — a series
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pop — music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — of water
  22. stem — to come from
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. saw — the tool

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