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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
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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: saw · spell · stem · bark · lie · game · toast · bank

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — for money
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — letters
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — magic
  16. bark — to shout
  17. game — a match
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. game — wild animals
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. toast — bread
  24. spell — a short time

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