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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 120 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
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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: mine · spell · shower · deal · pit · mark · leaves · dip

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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 — letters
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — to sink
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spell — magic
  15. shower — rain
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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