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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 120 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: band · staff · prune · swing · fork · bore · spell · stem

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. swing — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — to come from
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fork — in a road
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a music group
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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