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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: firm · season · stem · mug · fan · spring · toast · bass

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bass — low music
  3. firm — steady
  4. season — in sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — bread
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — of the year
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. firm — a company
  18. mug — a face
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — a cup
  22. firm — decided
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. toast — the most admired

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