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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: spell · toast · stand · hand · pit · cold · cabinet · bank

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cold — not warm
  6. spell — magic
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pit — in a race
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. toast — bread
  24. bank — for money

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