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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: mate · stem · stock · row · season · snap · spring · temple

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. season — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — goods
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — of the year
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mate — a friend
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spring — of water
  15. snap — to click
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — the season
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stock — shares

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