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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: cabinet · kick · spell · band · court · leaves · rush · mate

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. court — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. court — of a king
  14. band — a ring
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. kick — in football
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a music group
  24. mate — to breed

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