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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · root · season · object · staff · trunk · stem · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — the cause
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. staff — employees
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — of the year
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — a thing
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — magic
  24. object — to protest

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