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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: wake · mate · mouse · fine · fall · spring · stem · present

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. fine — all right
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. present — the time now
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mate — to breed

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