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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: root · stem · bear · patient · scale · rush · spell · mark

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — a short time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — letters
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rush — hurry
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — in music
  23. root — of a word
  24. stem — to come from

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