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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: degree · saw · stem · wave · swing · spell · foot · bear

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. swing — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — magic
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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