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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: spell · mark · leaves · arm · staff · bank · capital · wind

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — letters
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. capital — a city
  19. staff — a stick
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spell — magic
  23. bank — of a river
  24. capital — a big letter

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