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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: fine · bat · wind · mate · firm · stem · rush · jam

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. firm — steady
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — a partner
  14. firm — decided
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fine — all right
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — a friend

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