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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 · hand · swing · content · pass · wake · foot

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — magic
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. swing — to play on
  14. spell — letters
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — help
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. foot — a measure

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