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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: bear · spell · lean · shower · toast · capital

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lean — to bend
  5. capital — money
  6. shower — rain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — a city
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread

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