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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: spell · firm · spring · jam · deal · shower · rest · stem

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. shower — to wash
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — letters
  7. spring — the season
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spell — magic
  12. spring — a coil
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rest — a break
  19. shower — rain
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stem — to come from
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rest — what's left

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