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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: pitcher · spell · wax · rush · roll · stem · perch · object

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — letters
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — a list
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — to grow
  14. object — a thing
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — to come from
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spell — magic
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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