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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — magic
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — to sink
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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