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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: present · deal · dip · date · hand · arm · stem · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — there
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stem — to come from
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — help
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. present — the time now
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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