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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: spell · lean · date · rest · hand · roll · bulb · stem

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spell — letters
  9. rest — a break
  10. spell — magic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hand — help
  24. roll — a cake

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