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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: wake · rest · spell · kick · tube · stand · suit · last

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kick — in football
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — a container
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spell — letters
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spell — a short time

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