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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
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: wave · bat · rash · file · mouse · bowl · spell · chip

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — letters
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bat — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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