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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 116 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: bear · mine · dip · stem · saw · spring · pit · cap

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spring — the season
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to dunk

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