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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 116 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: leaves · cold · bark · spell · bank · rash · coach · cabinet

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spell — letters
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. spell — magic
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rash — hasty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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