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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: spring · row · can · cabinet · track · spell · bay · band

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. track — to keep track
  3. band — a music group
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — the season
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — letters
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. band — a ring

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