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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: hand · bear · stem · spring · mate · ruler · fine · toast

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fine — all right
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. toast — bread
  24. bear — the animal

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