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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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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 · mine · mouse · jam · bowl · mug · rest · pass

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stem — to come from
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — for digging
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. mug — a face
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mug — a cup

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