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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
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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: last · lash · spring · bay · net · cap · stem · fine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spring — the season
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — to come from
  8. last — to go on
  9. spring — of water
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. net — after costs
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. last — finally
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. net — for catching
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — in sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. last — final
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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