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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: rush · mug · stem · trunk · row · bay · mate · spell

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spell — letters
  7. stem — to come from
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mate — a partner
  18. row — a line
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spell — magic
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mug — a face

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