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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.

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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: season · stem · mate · lash · squash · saw · firm · spring

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — the season
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. firm — a company
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. firm — steady
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mate — a friend
  18. firm — decided
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stem — to come from
  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