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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.

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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: spell · tear · mate · fine · stand · season · wave · hand

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fine — all right
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. season — in sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hand — help
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — letters

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