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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 · stem · fan · can · shower · race · file · bank

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bank — of a river
  10. shower — rain
  11. spell — letters
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — the arms race
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spell — a short time
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stem — to come from
  20. file — a document
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. shower — to wash
  24. file — a tool

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