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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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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: stem · cap · date · net · rest · mate · jam · snap

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mate — to breed
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. net — for catching
  13. rest — a break
  14. net — after costs
  15. cap — of ice
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — in sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cap — a hat
  24. snap — to click

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