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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
468
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 · spring · stem · bass · file · hide · ball · foot

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spring — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. bass — low music
  8. spring — the season
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. file — a document
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bass — the fish
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a great 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