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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: kick · fall · rock · leaves · hide · spell · last · mark

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mark — a grade
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fall — to drop
  11. last — to go on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spell — letters
  24. mark — a trace

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