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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: spell · snap · object · wind · cabinet · band

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. object — to protest
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — letters
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — a thing
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. snap — to click
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — an aim

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