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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: tube · spell · wake · stem · sharp · track · squash · rest

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — a short time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. track — a song
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — magic
  12. track — a path
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — a trail
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — the underground
  19. track — to keep track
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — the sport

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