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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 120 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
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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: squash · spell · stem · field · safe · tear · wake · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. field — farmland
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. field — a subject
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — letters
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — a trail
  22. field — for sport
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tear — to rip

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