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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. roll — a list
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rush — to hurry

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