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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: spell · bank · cap · bowl · leaves · stick · rock · mate

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mate — a friend
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bank — for money
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — for money

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