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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: kick · net · spell · club · cell · cap · leaves · bore

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spell — letters
  3. club — for golf
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kick — in football
  19. club — for dancing
  20. spell — magic
  21. net — in sport
  22. club — a group
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bore — to tire

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