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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 · staff · rash · plane · bass · fall · lean · deal

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fall — the season
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rash — a series
  24. spell — letters

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