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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: date · spell · bank · staff · kick · coach · bound · cap

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cap — a hat
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — obliged
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spell — a short time
  15. staff — employees
  16. kick — in football
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — letters
  20. cap — a lid
  21. date — the fruit
  22. spell — magic
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — of ice

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