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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: stem · spell · stand · wind · scale · bulb · calf · rest

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. scale — in music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — a break

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