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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · stem · field · lash · squash · mine · pound · spell

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. field — farmland
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. last — to go on
  7. spell — magic
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spell — letters
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. last — finally
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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