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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.

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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: mate · arm · ground · spring · stem · ball · swing · leaves

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spring — of water
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mate — to breed
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spring — the season
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ball — a dance
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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