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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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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. season — in sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — the season
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spell — letters
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spring — of water
  24. spell — a short time

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