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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · saw · pit · leaves · wake · band · present · board

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — letters
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spell — a short time
  6. present — a gift
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. board — a committee
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. pit — a hole
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — to get on
  21. present — there
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. band — a rubber band

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