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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: leaves · cold · spell · mug · fan · track · can · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a path
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mug — to rob
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cold — not warm
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — letters
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — a face
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — a song

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