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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: mate · cue · foot · spell · content · mug · craft · stem

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. content — happy
  3. mug — a face
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. content — the amount
  6. foot — a measure
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — to breed
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. spell — letters
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spell — magic
  23. mug — a cup
  24. craft — boats

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