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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: mine · rush · stem · spell · rule · present · scale · row

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spell — magic
  3. scale — size or range
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — in music
  11. present — a gift
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — there
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rule — government
  24. present — the time now

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