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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · temple · mouse · stem · bear · ground · spring · lash

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ground — the earth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spring — the season
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — a position
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mouse — the animal

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