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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: bank · swing · spell · kick · mark · patient · toast · file

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a tool
  3. spell — letters
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — in football
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. file — a document
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. swing — music

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