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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: wound · stem · fork · saw · spell · hand · present · bowl

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — the time now
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — there
  15. hand — help
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. present — a gift
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — a garden tool

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