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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rock — music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. scale — in music
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. clip — for paper
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. clip — a video
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — for digging
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spell — letters
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lash — an eyelash

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