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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 116 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
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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 · band · ball · wave · kick · key · cap · ground

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — in music
  13. kick — in football
  14. ground — crushed
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ground — a position
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — of the sea

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