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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
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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: dip · chest · craft · cap · lean · spell · ball · wave

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. cap — a lid
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lean — thin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. craft — boats
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a great time
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — letters
  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