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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: fine · snap · rock · rash · stem · trunk · roll · spell

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rock — music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — all right
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. spell — letters
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — a series
  18. roll — a cake
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rash — hasty
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spell — magic
  24. rock — a stone

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