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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · net · rush · cabinet · mouse · leaves · straw · coach

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — magic
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — hurry
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — in sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spell — letters

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