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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
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: mouse · pitcher · stem · spell · snap · mate · date · squash

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to click
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. spell — magic
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. spell — letters
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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