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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 116 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 · mine · stick · key · sharp · can · stem · trunk

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — magic
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. key — for a lock
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spell — letters

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