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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · rule · saw · stem · root · pass · spell · plane

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spell — magic
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rule — government
  17. root — of a word
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rule — a law

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