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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: foot · lie · tube · spell · scale · key · stem · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — a measure
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — in music

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