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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: bass · spell · toast · stem · rule · saw

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. 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. rule — a law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. toast — bread
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spell — letters
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bass — low music
  17. rule — government
  18. 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