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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 112 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: rash · bound · suit · stem · sharp · mine · stick · spring

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bound — certain
  12. spring — of water
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. spring — the season
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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