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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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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: wind · deal · pit · leaves · spell · bank · fork · staff

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spell — magic
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pit — a hole
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spell — letters
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pit — in a race
  24. staff — employees

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