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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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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 · craft · ruler · wind · stem · pitch · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spell — letters
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spell — magic
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — thin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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