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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
468
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: wave · track · current · ball · spell · rush · arm · rash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. track — a song
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — of water
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a dance
  21. current — electric
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — a short time
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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