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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 116 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: spell · clip · rock · net · club · wave · snap · rash

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. snap — to click
  3. clip — for paper
  4. club — a group
  5. net — for catching
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. clip — a video
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rash — a series
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. net — in sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. club — for golf
  24. rock — music

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