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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: stem · spell · wake · game · present · bound · toast · date

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. present — a gift
  4. stem — to come from
  5. present — there
  6. toast — bread
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a match
  9. bound — certain
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — magic
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — the time now
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spell — a short time
  24. toast — the most admired

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