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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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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: band · stem · lean · roll · snap · mark · jam · spell

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lean — to bend
  3. roll — a list
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lean — thin
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. snap — to click
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spell — magic
  17. mark — a grade
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spell — letters
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. spell — a short time

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