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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: mug · drill · bank · stem · perch · chair · nail · spell

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — army training
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — a short time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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