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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 120 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: mug · leaves · lash · firm · hand · spell · bank · cap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hand — help
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mug — a face
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spell — magic
  16. hand — in cards
  17. firm — steady
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cap — a hat
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. spell — letters

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