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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: spell · object · wave · toast · can · straw · ground · sharp

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. object — an aim
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. spell — magic
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. object — a thing
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. can — to be able to

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