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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 · roll · rock · leaves · wound · straw · foot · stick

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. rock — music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — a cake
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. roll — a list
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spell — a short time
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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