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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spell — letters
  15. fall — to drop
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — of the year
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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