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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.

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: bay · spell · ball · stem · lean · wound · trunk · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lean — thin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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