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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: roll · bass · snap · wave · temple · fan · spell · pound

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spell — a short time
  3. roll — a cake
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. snap — to click
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — letters
  13. bass — low music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. roll — a list

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