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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
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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: last · spell · present · foot · suit · prune · kid · leaves

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spell — letters
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — there
  8. last — finally
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. last — final
  16. foot — a measure
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kid — to tease
  19. last — to go on
  20. present — the time now
  21. suit — clothes
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kid — child

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