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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: dip · hand · stick · wind · spell · leaves · bear · safe

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — help
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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