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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: cap · bank · spell · toast · stand · ruler · prune · straw

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cap — a hat
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cap — of ice
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — to bear
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. toast — bread
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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