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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: mate · spell · branch · fall · tube · stem · mug · content

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mate — a partner
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. spell — letters
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — the amount
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — magic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fall — the season
  17. mug — a face
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stem — of a plant

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