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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: leaves · cabinet · swing · racket · stick · spell · rest · nail

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rest — a break
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — letters
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. swing — to play on

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