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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: deal · leaves · fan · last · spell · pass · chip · content

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spell — magic
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chip — for betting
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pass — a permit
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — to eat
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — letters
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. last — final
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — finally

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