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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: pitcher · spell · leaves · stem · scale · calf · spring · snap

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. spring — of water
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — magic
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spring — the season
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spring — a coil
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stem — to come from
  19. scale — size or range
  20. snap — to click
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — letters

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