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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: stem · row · craft · season · stand · lie · tube · mate

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. craft — boats
  8. stem — to come from
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. season — of the year
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tube — a container
  24. mate — a partner

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