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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: leaves · mark · hand · mug · band · spell · root · craft

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mark — a trace
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — a grade
  15. root — of a word
  16. band — a ring
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hand — help
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spell — a short time
  24. band — a music group

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