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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 120 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: spell · stem · clip · key · rock · current · row · drill

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. key — in music
  3. spell — magic
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — happening now
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. current — of water
  9. clip — to cut
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rock — music
  12. row — a line
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. drill — army training
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — to paddle
  18. clip — a video
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spell — letters
  21. current — electric
  22. drill — the tool
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rock — a stone

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