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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: present · stand · rush · spell · leaves · capital · deal · bark

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — the time now
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. capital — a city
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. deal — to handle
  18. capital — money
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — there
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — for spectators
  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