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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: spell · fork · stem · lash · spring · dip · trunk · pound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pound — a weight
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spell — letters
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — of water
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. spell — magic
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — a short time
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spring — a coil
  24. dip — a sauce

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