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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.

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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: cell · net · last · lean · stem · mate · mouse · bulb

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — after costs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. last — final
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — for catching

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