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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: rash · mug · craft · stand · spell · stem · roll · pop

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. roll — a list
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — boats
  4. pop — soda
  5. spell — letters
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mug — to rob
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — a face
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rash — hasty
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pop — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stem — to come from
  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