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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: kick · leaves · deal · band · lash · dip · pop · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. pop — to visit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a music group
  15. kick — in football
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pop — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pop — soda
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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