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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
468
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: stem · straw · squash · leaves · bound · spell · tube · ball

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — certain
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — magic
  14. tube — a container
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spell — a short time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. squash — to crush
  24. leaves — of a tree

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