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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: mark · bulb · kick · shower · bay · stick · spell · staff

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — magic
  12. staff — a stick
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. spell — letters
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. kick — in football
  24. shower — rain

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