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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: stem · fork · ruler · stick · tear · spell

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spell — magic
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — to eat with

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