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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: row · roll · hand · toast · spring · rash · deal · stem

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stem — to come from
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spring — of water
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. toast — bread
  8. spring — a coil
  9. row — a line
  10. hand — in cards
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hand — help
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spring — the season
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rash — hasty
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. roll — a list
  24. hand — part of the body

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