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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: ruler · perch · spell · ground · fine · last · stem · roll

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spell — letters
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ground — a position
  17. fine — all right
  18. last — to go on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. fine — high quality
  23. roll — a cake
  24. last — final

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