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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: suit · season · spell · stem · deal · roll · calf · hide

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — in sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spell — letters
  10. suit — to fit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. roll — a list
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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