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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: bay · spell · chest · dip · stand · leaves · rash · pound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spell — magic
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — a series
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spell — letters
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rash — hasty
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chest — of your body
  24. dip — a sauce

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