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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: stem · bay · wind · mate · scale · spell · mine · lie

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spell — letters
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — in music
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bay — a horse colour

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