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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: branch · hide · leaves · last · pitcher · stem · spell · rock

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. last — to go on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. spell — a short time
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. branch — a division
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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