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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: straw · prune · spell · chip · stem · roll · wake · perch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. chip — for betting
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. roll — a cake

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