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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: ball · spell · rush · mark · rash · deal · wind · firm

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rush — hurry
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. firm — decided
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — steady
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — letters
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a grade
  21. firm — a company
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — magic
  24. wind — to turn a key

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