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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
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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: track · net · suit · can · spell · wound · cold · mouse

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spell — letters
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. track — a song
  18. net — after costs
  19. can — a tin
  20. suit — to fit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — clothes
  23. net — for catching
  24. can — to be able to

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