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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: band · dip · sharp · mouse · last · saw · spell · wake

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — a trail
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. last — finally
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — a short time
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spell — letters
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. band — a music group

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