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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: chair · dip · rash · pop · racket · spell · wake · cell

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pop — soda
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — magic
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — in a prison

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