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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 116 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: stem · drill · fan · stock · spring · band · mate · saw

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spring — the season
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. band — a music group
  18. mate — a friend
  19. band — a ring
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — goods

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