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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: spell · wave · club · bank · leaves · lean · land · roll

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — letters
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spell — a short time
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — to come down
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bank — for money
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lean — to bend
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — a country
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. lean — thin
  23. land — ground
  24. leaves — of a tree

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