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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: season · hand · object · hide · branch · spell · foot · stem

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. object — a thing
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. foot — a measure
  14. object — an aim
  15. spell — magic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — to protest
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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