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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.

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 · stem · dip · rest · jam · object · sharp · field

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mate — a partner
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — what's left
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — to protest
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — farmland
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — clever
  24. dip — a sauce

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