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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: bulb · scale · last · stem · spell · bank · hide · lie

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spell — magic
  4. last — final
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. scale — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — letters
  20. last — to go on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — size or range

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