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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: kick · bat · leaves · roll · cap · spell · bound · mouse

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. kick — in football
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — certain
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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