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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: rest · bear · stem · spell · last · deal · foot · rash

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rash — a series
  5. stem — to come from
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spell — magic
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. last — finally
  12. spell — letters
  13. last — to go on
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rest — a break
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — final

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