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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: bass · mouse · bat · press · ball · spell · wound · rock

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a great time
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rock — music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spell — magic
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. press — to push
  24. bass — low music

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