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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wax — to grow
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spell — letters
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — to crush

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