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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: wind · spell · nail · bank · wake · season · racket · perch

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — magic
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — a short time
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. season — in sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. wake — before a funeral

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