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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: prune · rash · race · stem · fan · foot · spell · rock

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — magic
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spell — a short time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — a series
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. race — humankind
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. race — a contest
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rock — to move gently

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