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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: stick · suit · staff · spell · wound · stem · wax · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — for sport
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wound — an injury
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spell — magic
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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