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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 120 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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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: bay · snap · temple · stem · spell · cue · mine · tube

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cue — a signal
  11. snap — to click
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cue — a hint
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — a container
  16. spell — magic
  17. mine — for digging
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spell — letters
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. temple — side of the head

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