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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: wake · bay · row · leaves · bulb · spell · stem · saw

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. row — to paddle
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. spell — a short time
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. spell — letters
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. row — a line
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stem — of a plant

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