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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: wave · mark · cell · file · craft · spell · rush · stem

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spell — letters
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. file — a tool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. craft — boats
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — to come from
  22. craft — a skill
  23. spell — a short time
  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