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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: stem · prune · wake · wave · roll · spell · scale · saw

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. scale — in music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wake — a trail
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — magic
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stem — a stem cell

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