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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: fall · spell · stand · last · kick · pop · season · roll

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spell — letters
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pop — soda
  7. last — final
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spell — magic
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — finally
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — to go on
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — music
  21. fall — the season
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fall — to drop

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