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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 120 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
468
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: cue · spell · mark · capital · lash · fan · deal · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cue — a signal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. capital — a city
  7. spell — magic
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — a trace
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. capital — money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — a big letter

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