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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: cap · stem · arm · wound · mine · foot · squash · spring

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spring — of water
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. squash — the sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — a measure
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. spring — the season
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mine — for digging

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