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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: mouse · spell · wave · sharp · roll · staff · content · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. content — happy
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. staff — a stick
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — the animal
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — the amount
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spell — magic
  24. sharp — with an edge

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