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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 · wake · hand · mark · bass · scale · kick · stem

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spell — magic
  19. scale — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. hand — help
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wake — a trail

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