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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · spell · object · band · cold · season · leaves · bark

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cold — not warm
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — of the year
  12. object — to protest
  13. band — a ring
  14. cold — an illness
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spell — letters
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. band — a music group
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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