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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: stick · cell · mate · straw · ball · spell · cap · foot

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a hat
  9. foot — a measure
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mate — to breed
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — a phone
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — letters
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cap — a lid

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