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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 120 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
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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 · net · chest · pop · vault · wave · rest · ball

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pop — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. net — after costs
  10. chest — of your body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pop — soda
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rest — a break
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. chest — a box
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rest — what's left

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