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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
468
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 · stand · roll · hide · wave · field · mark · clip

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — a trace
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. clip — a video
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. field — farmland
  16. spell — magic
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — letters
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. clip — for paper
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — a list

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